Recording
NOTES :
August 2010 it was reported
here
that KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons revealed during an
interview that the band spent time at a Los Angeles studio
recording a cover version of "Venus And Mars" for an upcoming
PAUL MCCARTNEY tribute album.

Extra Notes (promo
letter) :
The Art Of McCartney is a long awaited and very special project
celebrating one of the most universally acclaimed songwriters of
all time, Sir Paul McCartney. With backing provided by
McCartney’s long time band, classic tracks such as Maybe I’m
Amazed, My Love, The Long And Winding Road, When I’m 64, Let It
Be, Helter Skelter, Eleanor Rigby, Live And Let Die have been
recorded by some of the world’s greatest artists.

The Art Of McCartney is the brainchild of Los Angeles producer,
Beatles and McCartney fanatic, Ralph Sall, who has driven this
project from conception to delivery. Sall met and worked
alongside Paul in 2003 when they revived a song from the 1971
Ram sessions for a movie soundtrack. Ralph then asked Paul and
his publishing company if they would support his making this
album to honour him. They came back with Paul’s own blessing and
thumbs aloft for the project to go ahead.

Ralph became a man on a mission, first recruiting McCartney’s
gifted backing guitarists, Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray,
keyboard player Paul “Wix” Wickens, plus the larger than life
drummer, Abe Laboriel, Jr. They know Paul’s extensive back
catalogue intimately and this is the first time they have
recorded his songs with anyone else since they first started
working together with Paul over 12 years ago.

Ralph then set about approaching the world’s greatest performers
to invite them to step forward and make their mark. This has
been a labour of love, not only for Ralph but also for the
artists who gave their time to be part of it. All have spoken of
the importance of McCartney and his songwriting in their own
careers and wanted to show their appreciation.

A key strength of The Art Of McCartney is the way these world
class artists have got to grips with the sheer range and quality
of Paul’s work. From his groundbreaking recordings with The
Beatles, through to key moments with Wings and his solo
compositions, they are all featured on the album.

Legendary Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, was the first to take up the
challenge. Undoubtedly he set the bar very high with his
rendition of Wanderlust from the underrated 1982 album Tug Of
War.

There are very few artists whose own work rivals The Beatles. So
when producer Ralph Sall approached Bob Dylan to take part, he
knew it was ambitious. Dylan’s choice was Things We Said Today –
a track from The Beatles’ soundtrack A Hard Days Night – and
audiences will be captivated as he growls his way through his
remarkable version.

There are so many great interpretations here but look out for
Willie Nelson’s heartfelt Yesterday, Roger Daltrey’s frenzied
version of Helter Skelter, B.B. King’s atmospheric On The Way
and The Cure’s Hello Goodbye. Also Smokey Robinson who makes his
version of So Bad from Paul’s Pipes of Peace album his own, his
tender vocals taking the song in a new direction.

All
aspects of Paul’s peerless back catalogue have been explored
from The Beatles to his experimental early solo work, to Wings
and his latter solo output. Lesser-known hidden classics such as
Junk and Every Night are given a fresh outing and
interpretation.

The lead off track from the album is The Cure’s take on The
Beatles classic ‘Hello Goodbye’ which is the band’s first
release in 6 years and also features Sir Paul’s son James on
keyboards. The track is available for download now for those who
pre-order The Art Of McCartney.

Whether it is The Cure’s Robert Smith, Corinne Bailey Rae,
Smokey Robinson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel or KISS, they each bring
their own special talent to Paul’s much-loved songs. In so
doing, they have created versions that are both new and classic
at the same time.

The Art of McCartney is the very definition of the universal
appeal and timeless magic of Sir Paul McCartney’s songs and
songwriting.